Sisterhood of the Nail Polish Stained Pants
by melonbar92
Summary: A Sisterhood of the Traveling pants parody. When Quinn creates a pair of pants that fits her, Zoey, Nicole, and Dana all perfectly, the four girls create a sisterhood and share the pants, experiencing more drama, romance, and excitement then ever before.
1. Best Creation Yet

"This is my best creation yet."

As soon as the words came out of her mouth, they knew they were in for trouble. Whenever those six words were uttered everyone knew they should duck and cover and stay that way until it was safe. Quinn Pensky, smiling triumphantly, stood in front of her friends, holding up a pair of faded blue jeans. They looked quite ordinary, but since Quinn had invented them, they looked terrifyingly scary.

"What is it now?" Zoey Brooks put down the magazine she was reading and glanced cautiously at what Quinn was holding. She surveyed the pants, wondering what they were for. Perhaps they were pants that couldn't get wet or pants that could be eaten somehow. She twisted a lock of blond hair around her finger and hoped that whatever the pants did, they wouldn't somehow explode.

"Guess!" Quinn said excitedly.

"They give you super powers?" Nicole Bristow guessed. She was drinking a strawberry kiwi smoothie, her latest obsession. She twirled the straw around to mix the drink up. She loved the colour of strawberry kiwi smoothies- a nice shade of pink. She loved the colour pink. _When I get a daughter, I'm naming her Pink, _Nicole thought to herself. She paused. _Either that or Claire. Claire's a nice name…_

"No, guess again!" Quinn's toothy smile seemed to be glued on to her face.

"The pants will magically wrap itself around your mouth so you can't talk and then it'll somehow call security and have them drag you out of this room so we can be left in peace?" Dana Cruz said, snapping a little. She had been finishing up her already overdue Math homework and she definitely did not need someone shoving a pair of pants that were probably ordinary every day blue jeans in her face.

Quinn sighed. "No, guess again."

"Quinn, could you just tell us what your pants do?" Zoey asked, realizing how strange her question sounded. She flipped a page in her magazine where the headline was written across the top in big bold letters. **BRITNEY SPEARS' NEW FAMILY TAKES A WALK IN THE PARK. **Underneath was a large photograph and a long article that took up two pages. Zoey flipped to the back of the magazine where they had horoscopes.

"Fine, I'll tell you," Quinn said. She paused for a moment to get some effect and then started talking again. "I designed these pants so they'd fit all four of us perfectly for as long as we live! Isn't that cool?" She hugged the pants to her chest and twirled around. She spun around too fast and fell over, colliding into a chair.

"Quinn, are you ok?" Zoey cried as Quinn struggled up to her feet, pushing her glasses back on to her face. Zoey sighed and shook her head a little. She closed her magazine and tossed it on to the floor. Stretching out on her bed, she looked at Quinn with raised eyebrows. "How did you do… whatever you did?"

"Why'd you ask that, Zoey?" Dana said, groaning and throwing her pencil down. "Now she'll _never _shut up. We'll have to listen to her talk about her dumb pants all day now." She paused and then pushed her Math homework off her bed. "Well, that's fine with me. Listening to the dweeb is better than doing Math."

Quinn took a seat on Zoey's bed and started to explain how she had created the pants. "Well first I bought an ordinary pair of jeans and then I took your guys' measurements while you were sleeping. Then I had to program that into the machine that I built which can do some really cool…"

"Wait," Nicole said, interrupting Quinn's explanation. "You took our measurements while we were sleeping? That's so uncool." She had been sitting on the floor, drinking her smoothie and painting her nails 'Sparkling Watermelon.' Now she was staring at Quinn, open mouthed, her index fingernail only half painted. "I won't feel safe sleeping again!"

"It was only one time," Quinn said defensively. "Anyway, I took your measurements and I programmed them into this machine that's really cool. It can do all this neat stuff and it has a great memory system! Want me to show you guys sometime? I can even demonstrate with it! Last week I turned a pair of smelly gym socks into an apple pie!"

"Apple pie?" Zoey said her face dropping. "Um, it wouldn't happen to be that same apple pie you gave us for dessert after dinner last week, right?" When Quinn didn't answer, Zoey groaned and covered her face with her hands. "Great. We ate pie that was formally known as GYM socks!" She sat up in her bed and stared at Quinn. "Whose socks were they anyways?"

"Um…" Quinn bowed her head. "They were Logan's socks."

"That's SICK," Zoey cried. Nicole's eyes were popping out of her head and she accidentally started spreading nail polish over her finger. Dana groaned and muttered, "I knew we shouldn't have taken something from the dweeb. Especially food!"

Quinn crossed her arms over her chest. "Well no need to get huffy about it." She paused. "Anyways, obviously you can't understand the complexity and greatness of how these pants were designed. So I'll just skip the explanation." She grinned excitedly. "So who wants to try them on first?"

Zoey and Nicole exchanged glanced. Dana gave Quinn a sharp look. "Uh, you're kidding me right? What makes you think that we're going to try on your freak show pants after that apple pie incident? I'm going to have to brush my teeth ten times tonight to make my mouth feel clean after eating Logan's gym socks."

"Oh please try them on!" Quinn cried, putting her sad face on. "I worked so hard on these and I know for sure that these are perfect! And I didn't use anything gross on them… no gym socks. Please just try them on! Besides, think how fun it would be if we all wore the same pants! We could be like… a sisterhood!"

"Uh, yeah, sounds like fun," Dana said sarcastically. "Parading around in a pair of totally gross pants that three other girls besides me are wearing sounds like a blast, but sorry, I'm busy so count me out." She picked up her Math textbook from off the ground and flipped to the right page.

"Maybe we should give it a chance," Zoey said hesitantly, catching the crushed look on Quinn's face. "I mean… it could be fun you know… wearing the same pants." She made a face a little, but quickly let it drop away. "We could maybe put designs on it and stuff to make it look cool. You know, write stuff on it and draw little pictures…"

Nicole's face brightened. "Hey, you know, that _does _sound like fun!" She blew on her well manicured nails and frowned when she saw her sticky pink finger. Glancing over at Quinn she said, "You try them on first though… just in case."

"Alright," Quinn said. She started to pull off her checkered purple pants when Nicole screamed and threw the bottle of nail polish at her. Quinn gasped and held up her created pants in front of her face. Nail polish splattered over the front, making a pink blob appear on the front right leg. Quinn slowly lowered the pants from her face and stared at Nicole.

"Well…" Nicole glanced around defensively. Zoey, Dana, and Quinn were all glaring at her with open mouths. "It looked like she was stripping! Am I the only one who wouldn't want to see that?" Dana threw a pillow at Nicole's face and Zoey picked up the nearly empty nail polish bottle from the floor. A little bit had stained the carpet, but it wasn't as large as the blob on the pants.

"That's ok," Zoey said slowly. "We can just wash the pants."

"Well, actually, I don't recommend we wash the pants," Quinn said, zipping her purple pants up again. "You see, the machine I used to make the pants what they are right now… well… it's hard to explain." She rubbed her forehead. "Let's just say… if it gets wet then I suggest you never eat peanut butter and jam sandwiches again."

Nicole frowned. "I love peanut butter and jam!"

"Exactly," Quinn said. "Well anyways… I guess the nail polish stain makes the pants look more… um, personal." She held the pants in her arms and headed for the bathroom. "I'll go change where I can have some privacy then." She shot Nicole a look before walking off.

* * *

That night, at 11:45 PM, the four girls were sitting in a circle in the student lounge. It was past their curfew and they were supposed to be in bed, but Quinn had suggested that they be 'sneaky' and 'devious' and do a spiritual ritual while breaking the rules.

"Why are we doing this again?" Dana said, yawning and looking grouchy. She pulled a packet of gummy worms from her bag. "Anyone want some? The sugar might give you some energy for awhile." She ripped the package open with her teeth and distributed them around the circle.

"Okay," Quinn said. "Light the candles."

Nicole glanced around, looking nervous. She hoped they wouldn't get caught. Turning her attention back to the three other girls she said, "Um… what candles? You never told us to bring any candles." The gummy worms were passed to her and she pulled out a red and yellow one and twirled it around her fingers.

"I told you to bring candles," Quinn said, irritated.

"No you didn't," Nicole said, frowning.

"Yes I did."

"No you didn't."

"YES I did."

"NO you didn't."

"YES I DID!"

"NO YOU DIDN'T!"

"Okay, guys, shut up or we'll be caught," Zoey hissed at them. She snatched the bag of gummy worms from Nicole and said, "Let's forget about the candles and continue on. Quinn, what was this weird plan of yours? Making a sisterhood based on the pants?"

Quinn nodded eagerly. "I think it would be a good way for all of us to get to know one another better!" She placed the pants with the now dried pink nail polish stain in the middle of the circle and held her hands out for Dana and Zoey, who were on either side of her, to take.

"We already know each other fine," Dana said huffily. She examined the pants in the middle of the circle. The nail polish stain still stood out brightly even though they were sitting in the dark. They didn't dare turn on the lights in case they got caught. And since they had no flashlights or candles…

"Hands," Quinn said impatiently. The four of them held hands and Quinn instructed them to close their eyes. They all did as they were told. There was an eerie silence for a few seconds before Quinn started speaking.

"Tonight we make the Sisterhood of the Nail Polish Stained Pants. We are together forever until the end of our journey. The pants will symbolize our friendship and my brilliant mind." Pause. "And also that Nicole is very naught with nail polish."

The four girls opened their eyes and stared at each other. There seemed to be a different air among them. The atmosphere was different. They all stared at the pants, blinking. Perhaps there was magic in these ordinary pair of jeans after all? There was a moment of awed silence. Then Dana sneezed and the four of them gathered up their belongings and headed for their dorm rooms.


	2. Poemist

"Whoever turns off that alarm gets a million dollars."

Zoey sat up in bed, rubbing her eyes and yawning. The beeping of the alarm clock was extra annoying that morning. She grabbed her pillow and threw it at the clock. It fell off the bedside drawer and crashed to the ground. The beeping stopped and Zoey collapsed back down in her bed and put her hands over her face.

"I feel… like… I'm dead."

"Well, that's cheery," Dana said, slowly crawling out from beneath her blankets. Her hair was flattened on one side and her left eyelid was twitching insanely. She let her feet down on the floor and carefully stood up, grasping the side of the ladder that led up to Nicole's bed for support.

"Well, I do," Zoey said, uncovering her face and sitting up again. She threw her blankets off and grabbed her monkey slippers. She shoved them on her feet and yawned loudly before grabbing a towel and toothbrush and heading for the bathroom. She stopped at the door and turned around to face Dana who was inspecting her hair in the mirror. "Hey… I just noticed something." She glanced at the bunk bed. "Where's Nicole?"

* * *

Nicole was in the student lounge and she was… well, lounging. She was drinking a mango smoothie and wearing the Pants. Nicole had gotten to wear them first because they had decided to pass the Pants around in alphabetical order according to last name. After a week or two, she would have to give the Pants to Zoey. They had also decided that the word 'pants' should have a capital P to define its importance (actually that was mainly Quinn's idea, but anyways…)

Nicole had woken up early that morning and decided to go down to the student lounge and get a smoothie. And now here she was, in the student lounge, with a smoothie. It really wasn't as exciting as she thought it'd be. Deciding to go back up to room 101, Nicole stood up and walked out of the lounge. _I'm done lounging for now. Wait… am I? Yeah, I am. If I'm bored that means I'm done lounging, right? Oh my gosh, I am totally confusing myself. _Nicole slapped herself in the face and frowned. _Ouch, that hurt, why did I do that? Am I arguing with myself again? Oh my gosh, I'm creeping myself out! _

* * *

"Yo, Chase, pass me my lighter."

Chase Matthews, who had just woken up, was attempting to flatten his unusually bushy hair when Logan Reese had thrown a pillow at his head and asked for his lighter. Chase turned and sighed. "Logan, I don't know where your lighter is and really, you should stop smoking! It's bad for you and you really shouldn't be doing it! It could damage your lungs and I know you're rich and you can pay for your health or something, but honestly. Plus, you aren't supposed to smoke in the dorm rooms and-"

"Chase, we're all grown ups here," Logan said, rolling his eyes. "It's ok to smoke. Now pass me my lighter or I'll punch you in the face." He sighed heavily and grabbed his cologne. "And you sound like a walking encyclopedia so quit it." He dropped his cologne and crossed the room, snatching his lighter up from his desk.

"Technically, fifteen years old isn't grown up," Michael Barret said. He was lying in his bed, wearing blue pajamas with trucks on them. Whenever anybody asked he said, "They were a gift from my grandma!"

"Whatever, man." Logan rolled his eyes and pulled the packet of cigarettes out of his pocket. "If you guys don't like me smoking, fine. I'll smoke outside." He grabbed his jacket and walked out of the room, slamming the door behind him. Chase and Michael exchanged glances.

"What are we going to do about that boy?"

* * *

All eyes were glued on to the clock. The hands seemed to be moving slower then ever. Everyone was shifting in their seats restlessly, hoping that the bell would ring soon. _Tick, tick, tick. _Zoey sighed and took her eyes off the clock and stared down at her Math notebook. Mr. Lonus, the Mathematics teacher, was standing at the front of the room, droning on about something or other. Grade ten Math was really not the most interesting thing in the world. Zoey was sure she was going to die of boredom when a piece of folded paper fell on her desk. She curiously glanced around the room before unfolding the paper and reading the note.

_Hey Zoey- want to catch a movie on campus tonight? –Chase_

Zoey grinned and scribbled back a reply, using her favourite strawberry scented pink pen. It had been a gift from Chase on her fourteenth birthday. She giggled. Of course Chase would get her a pen for her birthday. It was so practical yet so cute at the same time. She folded the piece of paper again and, when Mr. Lonus wasn't looking, threw it on to Chase's desk.

_Sure- I'll meet you there at 7. Can't wait! –Zoey_

* * *

Her heart was thumping loudly in her ears. She couldn't concentrate at all on her English assignment. Ms. Fowl, the stern English teacher with chopsticks stuck in her hair, was patrolling the room, walking down the aisles. It was extremely nerve wracking having her march by your desk, peering at you from behind her square glasses. Dana sighed loudly and tapped her pencil against her notebook. Nicole, who was sitting beside her, was frantically scribbling away on her piece of paper. They had all been instructed to write a poem on something they liked or enjoyed doing. While Dana was stuck, Nicole was on a roll, her hand flying across the page.

_Shopping_

_By Nicole Bristow_

_I love shopping_

_Yes I do_

_Shopping is fun_

_Isn't that true? _

_So many sales_

_So little time_

_I'm running around with bags_

_And trying to make this poem rhyme!_

She thought it was brilliant.

* * *

"What a morning!"

Zoey sat down at the lunch table, joining her usual group of friends. The special today was macaroni and cheese. There was also old pizza and unusually green hot dogs. Zoey had gone for the macaroni and cheese. At least it didn't look contaminated. By the looks of it, everyone else had gotten the macaroni as well.

"Why, what happened?" Dana asked, sipping her soda through a straw.

"Math class happened," Zoey grumbled, picking up her fork. "It had to be the most boring thing in the world! I mean, honestly. If someone were to write a story about us they would most definitely NOT add Math class into it. I mean, how dull would that be? Who would even READ that story?"

"I wonder how that'd go," Chase mused, grinning at the thought. "Maybe something like 'all eyes were glued on to the clock…'"

"Well I had a great morning!" Nicole chirped cheerfully. She took a long drink of diet coke before speaking again. "I found my gift! I mean, honestly, it was so obvious- why didn't I see it before?" She beamed. "Quinn's pants really are magic, you know that?"

"What's your gift?" Logan asked. He pulled his lighter out of his pocket. "Shopping?"

"Please don't tell me you're going to smoke again," Dana said irritably, glaring at Logan who was lighting a cigarette. "That is so gross. If you have to smoke then do it outside where we don't have to smell it!" She leaned across the table and snatched the cigarette out of Logan's mouth.

"Anyways," Michael said with his mouth full of macaroni. "Tell us about your gift, Nicole."

"I can write poems!" Nicole said eagerly, bouncing up and down in her seat and clapping her hands together. Everyone stared at her as though she had gone insane. She frowned. "Umm… what?"

"Poems, Nicole?" Zoey said, frowning.

"POEMS!" Chase exclaimed.

"What's wrong with poems?" Nicole asked defensively.

"Nothing, it just doesn't seem like your kind of thing is all," Michael said.

"Well, I'm a great poemist!" Nicole cried.

Everyone exchanged glanced. "Uh… what's a poemist?" Zoey asked, sounding slightly afraid to hear the answer.

"People who write poems," Nicole said, rolling her eyes. "Duh."

"Those are POETS, Nicole," Dana said.

Nicole's face turned pink. "I knew that."


	3. With You

"I think I'm allergic to you."

Dana's cheeks were red and her arms were swelling like balloons being filled with helium. She scratched at her neck, frowning at Logan who was pulling his lighter out of his pocket. He had started smoking a year ago when he heard his parents were getting divorced. It had been a stressful time and he needed to take something up that would take his mind off things.

"You can't be allergic to me," Logan said, lighting a cigarette. "No one can resist me after all." He inhaled some smoke and then coughed. He didn't stop for awhile. Dana hit him on the back to help him. He swatted her away and glared at her. "I can do it myself, you know. I don't need you slapping me on the back."

Dana scowled. "Well, I'm sorry I tried."

"You should be." Logan straightened up and lifted the cigarette to his lips. This time he didn't double over coughing. He glanced over at Dana to see her reaction. Her lips were pursed together and she was still scratching her neck. Her eyes were cloudy and her eyebrows furrowed together as if she was thinking hard.

"What?"

Dana snapped out of her trance like state. "Huh?"

"What are you thinking about?" Logan asked. He dropped his cigarette on the ground and squashed it into the dirt with his foot. Then he immediately pulled another cigarette from his pocket and lit that one. Taking a long drag, he smiled with satisfaction.

"That's sick you know," Dana mumbled.

"What is?"

"You are."

Logan laughed, coughing as he did so. "Yeah, sure," he said, rolling his eyes. "I know you love me, Dana, why don't you just admit it?" He paused. "I know why. You don't want to go out with a smoker do you? You think I'll make you do bad things and then you think you'll die of bad lungs or something." He laughed again, sputtering slightly. When Dana didn't reply he said, "Whatever. It's your loss you know. You don't get to be with the Logan Reese, the hottest guy at PCA."

"Oh, please," Dana mumbled. "Don't make me sick."

Logan sighed. "Dana… what happened between us? Everything was so great last year, wasn't it? Why did you have to go mess everything up? I want things to be like they used to be." He dropped his cigarette on the ground and looked over at Dana with large eyes.

Dana looked away. "I didn't mess it up Logan," she said, her eyes filling with tears. She turned to stare at him directly in the eyes. They were alone on the basketball court. They had come out for some fresh air, but no sooner had they stepped outside had Logan pulled out his lighter. Their eyes were locked and Dana felt a single tear slide down her cheek. "You did."

* * *

"I'm going to my part time job now," Zoey said as she pulled her blue sweater over her head. "Today's my first day and I don't want to be late." She glanced at her watch. It was 1:45. Her shift started at 2:15. She had plenty of time, but she wanted to get to the restaurant where had been hired extra early.

"Okay, have fun." Nicole was lying on her bed, scribbling away in a pink notebook. She had been writing poems since lunch. She wrote poems about things she liked, things she didn't like, foods she liked, foods she didn't like, boys she liked, boys she thought were hot, boys and their boxers, boys and their hair, and cats who liked to eat caramel. That one was her favourite.

"Same to you," Zoey said, grabbing her key. She pulled on her running shoes and left room 101 and headed outside. It was a ten minute walk to Coconut Tree House which was the restaurant she had been hired at. It was a trendy new place that all the kids were going to. Zoey had been lucky to get a job there.

She headed down the stairs to the student lounge where she pushed opened the glass door and trudged outside. It was a cool November day and the wind was blowing girls' hair all over the place. Zoey zipped up her coat all the way up to her chin and started to head toward the Coconut Tree House. The restaurant was, as you may be able to tell, inside an extremely large tree house. You had to climb a ladder to get in and it had a Hawaiian theme with coconuts and palm trees inside for decoration. It was on campus and was near the movie theater. Zoey would be meeting Chase there after her shift ended at 6:30.

While she walked to her new job, Zoey decided to listen to some music. She fumbled around her purse and brought out her MP3 player. She plugged the earphones into her ears and turned it on and flipped it to her favourite song. She tried not to sing along too loudly as she walked.

_The real me is a Southern girl  
With her Levi's on and an open heart  
Wish I could save the world  
Like I was Supergirl  
The real me used to laugh all night  
Lying in the grass, just talking 'bout love  
But lately I've been jaded  
Life got so complicated _

I start thinking about it  
Almost forgot what it was like  
To know when it feels right

But with you  
I can let my hair down  
I can say anything crazy  
I know you'll catch me right before I hit the ground  
With nothing but a T-shirt on  
I never felt so beautiful  
Baby, as I do now  
Now that I'm with you

With you  
With you  
With you  
Now that I'm with you

You speak and it's like a song  
And just like that, all my walls come down  
It's like a private joke  
Just meant for us to know  
I relate to you naturally  
Everybody else just fades away  
Sometimes it's hard to breathe  
Just knowing you found me

'Cause I start thinking about it  
I almost forgot what it was like  
To know when love feels right

'Cause with you  
I can let my hair down  
I can say anything crazy  
I know you'll catch me right before I hit the-

"ZOEY!"

Zoey turned around and pulled out her earplugs. Quinn was standing behind her with her arms crossed and a scowl on her face. "Oh sorry Quinn," Zoey said apologetically. She switched her MP3 player off and shoved it into her purse. "Were you calling me?"

"Yes," Quinn said, jumping up and down to keep warm. "I was, actually. Where are you heading to?" She wore a rainbow scarf that was twisted around her mouth and a pair of giant purple earmuffs that were practically bigger then her head.

"I'm heading to the Coconut Tree House," Zoey replied. She started walking again and Quinn followed. "I got a job there. I told you that a few days ago, remember?" She glanced at her watch and started to pick up the pace.

"I do recall you telling me something like that," Quinn said, her voice muffled because of her scarf. She pushed it down a little so she could speak clearly. "Anyways, if you're going there then I might as well tag along. I don't have any more classes today and I was hungry- don't they serve those shrimp things at the Coconut Tree House?"

Zoey shrugged her shoulders. "I'm not sure. But I'm glad you're tagging along, I'm a bit nervous because it's my first day and all…." She took a deep breath and cold air. "Having a friend there won't be as nerve wracking."

Quinn nodded her head. They continued walking in silence when a piece of pink paper went flying into Quinn's face. She started screaming and waving her arms, trying to snatch at the piece of paper, but her scarf kept getting in the way.

"AHHH, ZOEY, GET IT OFF, GET IT OFF, IT COULD BE CONTAMINATED! MY RESEARCH SAYS THAT UNKNOWN PIECES OF PAPER COULD HOLD EVEN MORE GERMS THEN PEOPLES' HANDS WHEN THEY DON'T WASH IT AFTER G OING TO THE BATHROOM!"

"Too much information, Quinn!" Zoey yelled. She grabbed Quinn by the arm to stop her from jumping up and down and carefully peeled the piece of paper off of her face. Flipping it over, she started to read out loud.

**BASKETBALL CAMP**

**Are you into basketball? PCA is offering a great opportunity for all you basketball nuts! One month off campus and learn all you need to learn about dribbling, shooting, and much more! Go to Mr. Bender's classroom for more details and to sign up. **

Zoey's eyes widened. "Hey, this sounds interesting…"

* * *

**A/N- Thanks for the reviews all you people! I really, really, REALLY appreciate it- and no, I'm not just saying that to make you all feel good. Really, it's true! So how do you like it so far? It doesn't have much of a plot yet, I know, but don't worry, the good stuff is coming! Also, t he song that Zoey is listening to is With You by Jessica Simpson. So anyways, keep on reading and reviewing! **


	4. Drowning in Tears

_I love boys_

_They're so hot_

_They bring me joy_

_And ugly they're not!_

* * *

"Miss, I need a glass of water."

"Hey, Zoey, since you're in my Science class can I get a free burger?"

"Zoey, pick up that plastic palm tree!"

"Where the heck are my fries? I ordered them an hour ago!"

Zoey ran around the large tree house, carrying plates and cups and dirty dishrags. Her apron was splattered with ketchup and an assortment of other dirty things that could stain clothes. She was sweating and the room felt cramped. People were yelling out orders. The other waitresses were also running about, trying to juggle fifty things at once. Zoey turned around to grab someone's order, but ended up slipping in a puddle of water and falling to the floor.

"Ouch," she groaned.

Tammy Waters, a fellow waitress with dark hair streaked red, balanced four plates on one hand and pulled Zoey up with the other. "Tough luck," she mused. "Don't worry you'll get better at it. I've been working here since it opened and I still have some trouble balancing everything out." She glanced at her watch. "It's almost 6:30. Doesn't your shift end soon?"

Zoey nodded and thanked Tammy for helping. She then bustled off to carry out all the remaining orders. She would be so glad when her shift was over. She would just go to her dorm room and collapse on her bed and… Wait! She suddenly remembered Chase and pictured him waiting at the movies, expecting her soon. She sighed. She definitely wasn't in the mood to go to the movies. But she couldn't just turn Chase down after she had said she would go to the movies with him.

She finished serving a table of four and the quickly ran to the back room to change. It was finally 6:30 and her shift was over. She pulled off her dirty apron and shoved it into her purse. Then she grabbed her cell phone and started out of the Coconut Tree House. As she climbed the ladder downwards, she dialed Chase's number.

On the second ring he answered. "Hello?"

"Hi, Chase, it's me." Zoey stood for a second and adjusted her coat. "My shift just finished and I am totally exhausted. Is it ok if we reschedule our movie plans?"

"Uh… well… okay… Yeah, Zoey, if you're exhausted you should go to sleep." Chase's voice cracked. "I'll see you tomorrow- or you know what? Maybe I'll drop by your room later? We can watch a movie or something at PCA! What do you think? Then you wouldn't have to move or…"

"Sorry, Chase, I'm going to bed early tonight." Zoey yawned and flipped her cell phone shut. Then she headed on towards the school, ready to change into her pajamas and collapse into bed and go into hibernation.

Chase sighed and flipped his cell phone shut. Then he opened it again and dialed Michael's number. It rang three times before Michael answered. "Hello……"

"Hey, Michael, want to watch a movie?"

"What the- I thought you were going with Zoey?"

Chase sighed. "She was… uh, tired."

"Ah, man! You were going to confess to her today, weren't you?" Michael had sounded tired before, but now he was frustrated. Since the day Chase had met Zoey he had fallen head over heels for her and she still didn't know how he felt. Tonight was going to be the night. But all that was shattered now…

"Well… I guess it wasn't the right time," Chase said glumly. "So want to catch a movie or what? I'm already here and I brushed my hair today and everything. So how about it?" He sounded hopeful, too hopeful for Michael to turn down.

"Sure. I'll be there in five minutes."

* * *

Dana sat in the dark on her bed, looking through her old diary. Tears ran down her cheeks as memories flooded her brain. The last entry in the diary was written the day before she turned fifteen. The diary, she would call it her 'diary of when she was fourteen', contained pages full of hearts with Logan's name in them and names such as 'Mrs. Dana Reese' written in pink ink across the top. She started reading an entry.

_Dear Diary,_

_I cannot believe I actually LIKE Logan Reese! Word about this cannot go out or else I will be completely and totally humiliated. Why me? I'm can't like him… I'm not SUPPOSED to like him. I have to despise him… well… I wish I did. I can't stop thinking about him. I shouldn't be saying things like that. After all, I don't care about guys. That's Nicole's thing!_

"How stupid was I?" Dana murmured softly to herself. She flipped a few pages.

_Dear Diary,_

_I confessed to him today. I didn't mean to it just kind of… you know, came out of my mouth before I could stop it. We were at lunch and he told me to pass the ketchup. When I did our hands touched and our eyes met and I SWEAR there was a moment! So I thought I was going crazy and figured that I should just tell him how I felt instead of beating myself up about it. So after lunch I called him over and… are you reading for this? I KISSED HIM! But you know what the best part was? He kissed me back! Then I told him I liked him and my face must've been as red as a tomato, I don't know. Then he said he liked me too and… ah, life can't GET any better, can it?_

At this point, tears were falling at a rapid pace down Dana's cheeks. Her fingers trembled as she flipped to the very last page of the diary. The page where everything went wrong… the page where he happily ever after shattered. She took a deep breath to steady herself and read.

_Dear Diary,_

_I am turning fifteen tomorrow. I was going to celebrate it with Logan, but then… he turned his back on me. He… broke up with me. I'm so stupid for thinking he was the One. How could I have thought that? I was taking a walk on the beach today and I saw him with another girl. They were kissing and… I didn't know what to do! So I ran up to them and pushed them into the ocean and ran away crying. Logan caught up to me and yelled at me and asked why I did that. Then he hit me across the face! Then we got into this really awful argument. I was yelling and he was… drunk. I guess he didn't have control over what he was doing, but I was heartbroken and he dumped me in front of everyone. U feel so… I don't know. I don't feel like there's a reason to live anymore._

By now, Dana was sobbing uncontrollably. The diary fell out of her hands. She sat on her bed and cried. The tears wouldn't stop. She couldn't stop. Her hands moved up to her face. She tried to wipe them away, but more just kept coming. She felt as if she was drowning in her tears. The thought of that scared her. She needed love and warmth, but she didn't know where to turn to. She just had her tears and her loneliness.


	5. Hi Mom

"Are you thinking about going to this basketball camp thing?"

Zoey sat on her bed, feeling exhausted from her shift at the Coconut Tree House. As soon as she had gotten back to her dorm room, she had collapsed on the floor and didn't move until Nicole poked her with her hair dryer. After brushing her teeth and changing into her pajamas, Zoey didn't feel as tired as she had before so instead of going into hibernation she showed Nicole the basketball flyer that had attacked Quinn in the face.

"I'm thinking about it," Zoey said as she brushed the tangles out of her hair. "But I'm not sure what I'm going to do about my job. I can't quit because I was lucky to get hired there in the first place." She sighed and put her hair brush down. "I was thinking maybe I could get a friend to fill my place for a month if I go to camp…" She looked at Nicole.

"Good plan, but who are you going to ask?" Nicole said, frowning as she flipped through her notebook. Half of it was already filled with her poems. She would need a new notebook soon. "I mean, who would be stupid enough to work at the Coconut Tree House?" She paused and glanced over at Zoey. "Um… that's not what I meant. I meant who would be stupid enough to work instead of you!" She paused again. "Wait, that's not what I meant either."

"Whatever, Nicole," Zoey sighed and flopped down on her bed. "I guess I can't go to the basketball camp then. That kind of blows, doesn't it? I thought I could really improve my skills if I went there." She rolled over on to her stomach and sighed again. "But if you aren't willing to take my post then I don't know who would…"

Nicole snapped her fingers and sat up on her bed. "I know who would take your spot!" she cried. "Chase! Chase Matthews! Chase the guy who's crazy about you!" She smiled slyly. "And the guy _you're _crazy about." She sighed and threw her hand dramatically to her forehead. "Oh… how sad. I wonder when you two will finally start dating."

Zoey's cheeks turned red. She grabbed her pillow and threw it at Nicole. "I'm not crazy about him!" she cried. Then she smiled and pressed her hands against her burning cheeks. "Well… not that much anyway…" She giggled, but then sighed. "Anyways, there's one thing you're wrong about. He doesn't like me and he never will."

"Weren't you going to the movies with him today?" Nicole asked.

Zoey rolled around on her bed while shaking her head. "I had to cancel. I was so tired after work! If I went to the movies with him today I would've bored him so much he would've wished he never asked me to go with him to see…" She paused. "I don't know, to go see whatever movie we were going to see I guess."

Nicole sighed. "Oh, teenage love… how sad you are." She paused. "Hey that would make a great poem, don't you think?" She grabbed a pencil and frantically opened her notebook to a fresh page. She started to scribble furiously. Zoey sighed.

"You're no help, Nicole," she said.

"Cant talk- writing."

Zoey lay in bed for a few minutes before sitting up and grabbing her cell phone. She had Chase's number on speed dial so she quickly called him. The phone rang once, twice, three times… She was just about to hang up when he answered. "Hello? Is this Zoey? I was hoping you'd call."

She felt her face turn crimson. "Yeah, it's me. And… um, you were hoping I'd call? Why?" She knew she was getting her hopes up too high. The truth was Zoey had had a secret crush on Chase for two years now. She knew Chase only thought of her as a friend.

"Well I just got back to my dorm," Chase explained. "I caught a movie with Michael since you couldn't make it. Anyways, I was stuck on this Math problem and I was hoping that you know… you could help me? I didn't want to call you because you sounded so tired before, but man I am so relieved that you phoned me!"

"Oh," Zoey said disappointment in her voice. "Sure, I'll help. What's the problem?"

"Great! Zoey, you're one in a million."

"Yeah," Zoey sighed. "I guess."

* * *

The bright sunshine woke Nicole up. It was a Saturday so she didn't have any classes. She yawned and stretched, sitting up in her bed. She looked out the window. Although it was sunny she could see the tree branches shaking in the fierce wind. She shivered and clambered down the ladder to go to the bathroom. Dana and Zoey were already gone- Nicole had obviously overslept.

After washing her face and brushing her teeth, Nicole changed into the Pants and an old, comfortable purple sweater. She didn't feel like dressing up that day. She felt like being grungy. She pulled on some rainbow coloured toe socks and running shoes. She grabbed her purse and walked out of the dorm, ready to get some late breakfast.

When she went down to the cafeteria, she found a few scattered people, but other then that, it was nearly empty. She bought some pancakes and sat down to eat. She didn't know why, but she had a great feeling of sorrow in her stomach. Maybe all the poems she had written were getting to her? She wasn't sure. Maybe the Pants were giving her a queasy feeling. Quinn must've done something to them or…

_Ring, ring, ring!_

Nicole pulled her cell phone out of her purse and flipped it open. She made a mental note to herself to get a better ring tone. "Hello?"

"Nicole…?"

Nicole froze. "Mom?"

"Nicole!" Nicole's mother sounded relieved. "Hi, how are you?"

"Why are you calling me?"

"Can't a mother phone her own daughter?"

"No."

The previous summer came running back into Nicole's mind. She had gone back to her parents' house for the vacation only to find out that her mother had disappeared. Her father had refused to tell her where she was. Nicole spent days trying to track her mother down and ended up in the hospital with a broken leg. After Nicole had returned to PCA, her father had phoned her to inform her of her mother's return. Nicole was angry and hurt that her mother had not wanted to see her and refused to speak to her.

"Oh, Nicole, I can tell you're still upset that I wasn't there this summer," her mother said uncomfortably. She coughed. "Well… I just phoned to apologize and to see that you're doing well… and um… I was near your school and I was hoping we might be able to get together for lunch or something…"

"Why would you of all people want to see me?" Nicole said harshly. She felt anger bubbling up inside of her and it was as if some sort of devil had taken over her. She couldn't control herself. The hatred spilled out of her like a volcano spitting out lava.

"Because I miss you," her mother replied softly.

Nicole burst into tears. People looked up in from their breakfast to stare.

* * *

"I haven't played basketball in so long," Dana commented, dribbling the ball past Zoey and taking a shot at the net. The ball swished through and Dana caught it as it fell through the air. "Not since I quit the team last year anyways."

"Your playing hasn't gotten any worse though," Zoey commented, stealing the ball from Dana and dribbling it through her legs. She sighed heavily as she remembered the basketball camp she wouldn't be attending.

"What are you sighing about?"

Dana snatched the ball from Zoey and the two of them went to go sit down on the bench to take a little break. Zoey grabbed her water bottle and explained her dilemma to Dana.

While listening, Dana got a brilliant idea. "I know!" she said, snapping her fingers. "I'll take your job at the Coconut Tree House!" She paused. She knew she would have to choose her words very carefully. "I've… had a lot on my mind lately and I need something to busy myself with. You go to basketball camp and I'll take your shift for the time you're gone."

Zoey's eyes widened. "Are you serious?" She threw her arms around Dana. "Thank you so much!" She leaped up to her feet, sloshing water on to her shirt by accident. "I've got to go sign up now! I hope it's not too late. I'll phone my boss and organize things with her and… oh, you're so great!" She hugged Dana again before rushing off.

Dana sighed happily and took a long drink from her water bottle. _Good, _she thought. _I need something to take my mind off Logan and his smoking. _She frowned. _There I go, thinking about Logan again! When am I ever going to stop? It's like I'm addicted… I'm addicted to him like he's addicted to smoking. _She shook her head and grabbed the basketball. It would help her clear her thoughts.

Quinn had never liked boys. She was an individual and stuck to her experiments and chemicals. They made her happy and being around dangerous explosives made her feel safe. Believe it or not, it was true. The first crush she had had was on Mark Del Figgalo. They had been together for awhile until he moved last year and they had lost touch. Now Quinn was solo again and… well, she was happy, but apart of her felt sad and lonely.

She longed for love.


	6. That Funny Feeling

PCAChase: Hey, Zoey, what's up?

ZoeyB-Girl: Nothing much I just signed up for basketball camp!

PCAChase: Oh… yeah I heard about that- wait, you're going?

ZoeyB-Girl: Yeah I leave tomorrow

PCAChase: Well, uh… guess what?

ZoeyB-Girl: What?

PCAChase: I'm going too! I guess I'll see you tomorrow on the bus then?

ZoeyB-Girl: You are? That's great! I'll see you tomorrow then. Bye!

PCAChase: Later

Chase watched as Zoey logged off the computer. Then he leaped to his feet and snatched the pink flyer off of his desk. Michael had found it rolling around on the floor and had brought it into the dorm room to look at later, but he never did. Chase quickly skimmed the flyer and then ran out of the room, heading for Mr. Bender's classroom and praying that he wasn't too late to sign up.

* * *

"What… are you doing?" 

Quinn looked up from her latest experiment- changing strawberries into milkshakes just by zapping it with a straw. She was having difficulty making the straw work the way she wanted it to though and was trying to find out where she went wrong. Now she was looking at a curious (and also frightened) Michael.

"I'm conducting an experiment that will change the face of strawberries."

Michael sighed. "I shouldn't have asked."

Quinn worked in silence for a few minutes and then groaned loudly, dropping her scientific straw on the table she was working at. She was having an 'inventing block' and felt as if a million marshmallows had been clogged inside her brain. She looked at Michael who was staring at the deformed straw in… was that amazement? Somehow, she doubted it.

"Do you need something?" Quinn asked.

"Well, now that you mention it, I could get some help on this chemistry homework," Michael said hopefully, taking his Science textbook out of his backpack.

Quinn frowned. "You mean… do it for you?"

"Well…" Michael hesitated. Catching the look on Quinn's face he shoved the textbook back in his bag and said, "No. I don't want you to do it for me." He sighed and muttered under his breath, "Well… not really anyways." He cleared his throat and continued talking. "I just need some help. I don't get some of these weird scientific phrases."

"Well, I'd be happy to help!" Quinn said cheerfully. She moved her invention out of the way and Michael sat down across from her. Together they worked out word problems, chemical formulas, and even had a few laughs together. While reading over page 36 of the textbook, Quinn started to feel a fluttery feeling in her stomach. She frowned.

Michael glanced up at her. "What's wrong?"

"I'm not sure," Quinn said, rubbing her stomach. "Maybe it was something I ate. I'll be right back I'm just going to use the facilities for a moment." She hopped out of her chair and hurried away.

Michael frowned. "Did she just say facilities? Why couldn't she just have said bathroom like a normal person?"

* * *

Nicole sat in the small overheated restaurant, sitting at a little wooden table and waiting for her mother to arrive. She felt extremely nervous and a bit jumpy so to calm her nerves she chewed loudly on a piece of strawberry flavoured bubblegum. She glanced at her watch every five minutes and was just about to leave when the glass doors of the restaurant swung open and Mrs. Bristow walked in. 

"Over here," Nicole called, waving her hand in the air. Her voice stuck in her throat and came out in a funny way. She spat her gum out into a napkin and held it in her hands. She realized her palms were sweating. _Why am I so nervous? It's just my mom. Who cares if I haven't seen her in like, a year? Who cares if it felt like she abandoned me? She's back and that's what matters, isn't it?_

Mrs. Bristow rushed over to greet her daughter. She kissed both her cheeks and then sat down across from her. Nicole examined her mother. She hadn't changed much although she looked a bit paler. Nicole mumbled a hello and grabbed a menu to cover her face with.

The two of them sat in silence for awhile. A waiter came to take their order and they both ordered the same thing- a hamburger with no onions and a glass of orange crush with ice. When Nicole was younger, her mother had called it their 'special' meal.

When the food was brought to their table, they started eating. They didn't talk until Nicole finally asked what was on her mind. "Mom, why are you here?"

Mrs. Bristow lowered the burger and cleared her throat. "Well… I came to see you mainly. I missed you, you know. Did I tell you that already/" She coughed and began rummaging through her purse.

"Yes, you told me," Nicole said stiffly. She glared at her hamburger before starting to speak again. "Where did you go in the summer? Dad wouldn't tell me and you never phoned me to tell me you were alright."

Mrs. Bristow pulled a packet of pills out of her purse and swallowed some with the help of her orange crush. "I'm sorry, Nicole," she sighed after swallowing. "I wanted to tell you… but I couldn't."

Nicole felt anger bubble up inside of her. "So you made me cry all night for the entire summer because you 'wanted' to tell me something, but you couldn't? You made me worry about you and wait for you every day because you 'wanted' to tell me something, but you couldn't? You made me worry SICK about you, but-"

"Nicole, I'm sorry," Mrs. Bristow murmured, tears in her eyes.

"No!" Nicole shouted, pushing her chair back and rising to her feet. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry for worrying about you and I'm sorry for thinking you were going to come back in the summer to actually see me. And I'm sorry that I thought you were here purely because you loved me. If you really loved me you would at least give me an explanation to why you didn't want to see me in the summer." She crossed her arms. "I'm giving you ten seconds to explain. Ten."

"Nicole… I…"

"Nine."

"Oh Nicole, stop being childish and sit down."

"Eight."

"Nicole, you know I love you! That's why I'm here."

"Seven."

"Do you really want an explanation?"

"Six."

"Well… you see… oh, I'm sorry Nicole, but I can't…"

"Five."

"Let's not be silly now… just because I don't tell you about my absence doesn't mean that I don't love you."

"Four."

"I had things to do!"

"Three."

"And those things were of course not as important as you, but I had to deal with them as soon as possible and they took longer than I expected…"

"Two."

"I… I'm sorry Nicole."

"One."

Nicole grabbed her purse and left the restaurant, leaving her mother and her half eaten burger on the table. Once outside, Nicole felt tears sliding down her cheeks. She realized that she was still holding the napkin with the spat out gum in it.

* * *

Dana lay on her bed, flipping through the Coconut Tree House waitress guide book. It wasn't really the most interesting thing to read, but she had to look through it so she was ready for her first shift tomorrow. She was just reading about how to balance five plates at a time when there was a knock on the door. She glanced up from the book and yelled, "Come in, the door's unlocked!" 

The door opened and Logan stepped in, looking pale and fragile, the last two words you would use to describe Logan Reese. Dana dropped her book and rose to her feet to stare at him. He looked like he was ready to collapse. His lips looked as if they were white and he was sweating. Taking two steps towards her he whispered, "Dana… I…" Then eh fainted to the ground.

Dana screamed when he collapsed. She started to panic. _What do I do? What CAN I do? Should I call the nurse? Should I call the hospital? _She decided to look in his wallet and find out if he had an emergency contact number in there. She found his black leather wallet in his back pocket and flipped it open. Inside she found a list of phone number and quickly skimmed through it.

Cell phone numbers… home number… There! The emergency contact number was written in red ink at the very bottom. Dana read the number and felt her eyes grow wet. She was his emergency contact. She took a shaky breath and looked over at the fainted Logan.

"I'm sorry, Logan," she whispered. "I'm your emergency contact, but I can't do anything to help you." A tear ran down her face and landed on Logan's nose. She smiled a sad smile and wiped it away. Then she called Michael.

"Hello?"

"Hi, Michael, it's Dana."

"What's up?"

"I just came to my dorm and Logan is lying on the floor! It looks like he fainted. Will you come and take him to the nurse or something?"

"What? I can't right now, I'm studying with Quinn."

"I don't care if you're studying with the president. Take him away."

"Fine, fine, I'll be there in two minutes."

They both hung up.

* * *

Quinn stood over a sink, looking at her reflection in the mirror. The fluttery feeling was gone. She wondered what it was. It was strangely familiar and it felt rather sickening… but in a nice kind of way. She smiled a little and left the bathrooms to go meet Michael again. But before leaving, she quickly checked her hair, something she hadn't done since Mark was her boyfriend. 

When she arrived back at the table, Quinn found a note in Michael's place. She picked it up and read it, feeling a new feeling in her stomach. It was a funny feeling this time… a mixture of disappointment and drained hope.

_-Quinn_

_I went to go get Logan. He fainted in Dana's room. Thanks for your help._

_-Michael_

Quinn sighed sadly and started to pack up her things. She realized that Michael had forgotten his textbook at the table. She picked it up and put it in her bag along with her other things. _I'll give it to him next time I see him. _She felt her cheeks grow warm at the thought of seeing him again. Hold on. Could these feelings be…? No… of course not.

Quinn shook her head and left the student lounge, Michael's note held tightly in her hand.

* * *

Logan opened his eyes. He looked around. He realized he was in the nurse's room. Groaning, he sat up in the bed he had fallen asleep on. He wondered how he had gotten there. Judging by the bright sunlight that was shining through the window, it was morning. He scratched his head and yawned. He had such a head ache… 

The door suddenly burst open and Michael walked in, holding a glass of orange juice. "Oh, you're awake," he remarked, handing the juice to Logan who took it unthankfully.

"Yeah, I'm awake. What time is it?"

"10 AM," Michael replied. "You slept forever, man. I thought you were DEAD!"

Logan made a face. "Yeah, whatever… Where's Chase? Isn't he worried about me?"

"He had to wake up early this morning and go to some basketball camp thing," Michael said, rolling his eyes. "Anyways, he told me to tell you to get better soon." He snickered. "Imagine… you, Logan Reese, fainting in Dana's dorm room!"

Logan froze. "Huh?"

"You don't remember? Dana phoned me and told me to take you to the nurse's office. She said she came into the room to see you fainted on the ground." Michael grinned slyly. "Nice move, Logan. You know I'm never going to let you forget it."

Logan groaned loudly. He put the orange juice down on the dresser table and put his head in his hands. "I'm a first class loser, aren't I?"

"Well… yeah… you are…"

Logan lifted his head and glared at Michael. "Thanks."


	7. Awkwardness

"Ninety nine bottles of beer on the wall, ninety nine bottles of beer! You take one down, pass it around, ninety eight bottles of beer on the wall! Ninety eight bottles of beer on the wall, ninety eight bottles of beer! You take one down, pass it around, ninety seven bottles of beer on the wall. Ninety-"

By the time they got to ninety seven bottles of beer on the wall, Zoey had a pillowcase over her head and her hands clasped over her ears to drone out the sound of basketball camper's singing. Chase, who had been sitting beside Zoey on the bus, rummaged around his bag and brought out his MP3 Player. He handed the headphones to Zoey. She looked through the see through pillowcase at him and smiled, gratefully taking the headphones and plugging them into her ears. Chase turned the volume up so that Zoey wouldn't be able to hear the awful singing in the bus.

"Thanks," Zoey yelled over the voices of the other campers.

"Your welcome," Chase yelled back. He leaned back in his seat and shut his eyes. He had had to wake up extremely early that morning and he felt as if he would collapse if he didn't get some sleep. He had eaten a quick breakfast before running out to meet Zoey at the bus. He had almost missed it, but thankfully, he hadn't. The bus shook as it went along a rocky road. People kept singing and yelling, but Chase smiled anyways. He was going camping with Zoey. How perfect could this be?

* * *

_Dear Zoey,_

_I'm sending you the pants now. I've had my share of excitement in them. I… uh, saw my mom today. I know, like, that seems great, right? It would have been great if I hadn't completely, totally exploded at her! I am such an idiot. And I didn't even pay for my burger. AND I spat out a piece of perfectly good gum that still had flavour left in it! Anyways, here are the pants. I'm sending it to the address you gave me… it should arrive at your basketball camp soon. _

_Much Love,_

_Nicole_

* * *

Dana walked toward the nurse's office, feeling completely wiped out. She had just finished working her first shift. _Being a waitress, _she decided. _Is a lot harder than I thought it would be. _She wrapped her coat tighter around herself and started to run. Even though her legs hurt from rushing around the tree house, she wanted to get to the nurse's office in a hurry and then go to her room and sleep. 

_I wonder if Logan's ok. He probably is. I mean, he IS Logan Reese. But why did he faint in my room? Why did he faint at all? Maybe there's something wrong with him. Maybe he's sick! No… that's not good. No, that's not good at ALL. What do I do? What if he dies? Okay, now you're over thinking this…_

She knocked two times on the nurse's office door before opening it herself. The nurse was sitting at her desk, writing on a piece of paper. When Dana came in, she put her pen down and looked up at her, waiting patiently to see what she wanted. Dana glanced over at the bed in the corner of the room. Logan wasn't there.

"I was… uh, wondering about…"

"Logan Reese?" the nurse said. She sighed and leaned backwards in her chair, making it creak. "He left awhile ago. He claimed he was all better, but honestly, I don't know what the idiot was thinking. He said he needed to go out and get a smoke. Naturally I had to try and stop him- I mean, I am considered a teacher. Or at least, part of the faculty. And the rules say that all faculty must-"

"Why did he faint?" Dana asked, cutting the nurse off in an impatient tone.

"Oh, right." The nurse rolled her eyes and picked her pen up again. "Well, he must have been a pretty heavy smoker. He was so addicted that smoking was all he wanted to do. He stopped eating and only took drinks of water, but otherwise he smoked to fill his stomach." She clicked her tongue and shook her head. "He needs some professional help, dear. He needs to quit otherwise he'll end up in a very tight position. I'll have to make a phone call later and send him off to-"

"Send him off?" Dana cried. "No! You can't do that."

"Well, I have to give him some help, dear. Do you have any better suggestions?"

Dana thought fast. "I'll help him," she blurted out.

The nurse laughed. Her laugh seemed to shake the walls. "Do you honestly think that your help will be more effective then the help of a professional? I don't think so." She tapped her pen against her desk. "I suggest you leave now. It's getting past your curfew, isn't it?"

Dana folded her arms across her chest. "I can do it."

The nurse sighed loudly, but didn't say anything.

"I CAN DO IT!" Dana yelled.

The nurse's grip on the pen tightened.

"I said, I CAN-"

"FINE, YOU CAN DO IT!" the nurse yelled, turning to look at Dana. Her face was an unusual shade of purple. "JUST GET OUT OF MY OFFICE BEFORE I THROW A CHAIR AT YOU! YOU ANNOYING LITTLE-"

Dana quickly ran out of the office, slamming the door shut behind her. She started walking toward her dorm room, feeling a strange feeling wind around in her stomach. Had she just volunteered to help Logan quit smoking? She shivered. This couldn't bring any good things about. She started running. Logan would be surprised when he heard the news.

* * *

Zoey awoke in her cabin, feeling light headed. She sat up in her bed and looked around. The girls she shared the cabin with were all still dozing. Alicia Williams, the girl who shared a bunk bed with Zoey, rolled over on the top bunk, snoring a little. Zoey crept out of the cabin, greeting the wind with pleasure. 

_I'm here. I'm here at basketball camp! How exciting._

Through the corner of her eye, she saw the shadow of a boy walking along the trail. Squinting, she saw it was Chase. Grinning from ear to ear, she cupped her hands around her mouth and yelled, "Chase! Chase!" He turned and she waved at him. He smiled and started jogging towards her.

"Hey, Zoey," he greeted her happily as he approached. "I thought I was the only one awake in the entire camp." He looked at her cabin. "So this is where you sleep? I'm over there where the boys' section is." He paused, looking slightly awkward. "So… uh… did you have a good sleep?"

"Oh yeah," Zoey said, nodding. "Totally… did you?"

"Yeah, totally, me too," Chas said, nodding his head vigorously.

The two of them just stood there awkwardly. It felt weird being together outside of PCA. It felt as if they both didn't know what to do or say. In a way, they really didn't. They both had feelings for each other that were beyond friendship, but none were willing to step forward and admit it. They both smiled at each other. Then Zoey went back into her cabin and Chase continued along the trail.

* * *

_Dear Journal,_

_I have hooked up my feeling wired to my stomach to see what I was feeling before. The machine tells me that it's either something I ate or I have feelings for a person of the opposite gender. I believe it is the thing I ate. Perhaps it was the crab that I prepared last night for myself? I'm not exactly sure, but I plan to find out. I don't want to get sick!_

_I am most definitely sure that I do not have strong feelings for a person of the opposite gender. No one will take Mark's place in my heart. Never… although I do think that the Michael fellow is quite attractive in his own way…Wait! Why did I just start talking about Michael out of no where? Must be a side effect in my feeling machine… making me think of all these weird things. Better upgrade it. _

_Quinn_

* * *

Nicole folded the pants, tears sparkling in her eyes. Her heart ached when she thought about her mother and how she had been wearing the pants when she had seen her for the first time in a year. A tear rolled down Nicole's cheek and landed on the pants. She slid them into a brown box which she wrapped with some pink paper. She addressed it to Zoey and wrote the basketball camp address on it. 

"Here you go, Zoey," she said. "I'm sending you my sorrow."

* * *

Family's forever  
Friends stick together  
Boys are whatever 

-Quote from a variety of people


	8. Leave a Message!

_Ring, ring, ring._

"Hello?"

"Nicole? It's me…"

"Oh… hi, mom…"

"I just wanted to apologize for before."

"Will you tell me what's going on?"

"Oh, Nicole, can't we just drop that…?"

_Click._

* * *

_Dear Michael,_

_I took some tests and it turns out that I like you._

_Dear Michael,_

_I LOVE YOU, BE MINE!_

_Dear Michael,_

_You're making me waste paper, stop it._

_Dear Michael,_

_I have a crush on you._

* * *

"Zoey… I have a crush on you."

"Zoey… I really like you!"

"Sup, Zoey? Want to go on a date sometime?"

"Zoey, if you don't like me back, I'm going to cry."

"Zoey, PLEASE BE MINE!"

Thomas Robinson, one of the guys Chase shared a cabin with, turned to stare at him. "Are you talking to the mirror?"

"Go back to sleep," Chase grumbled.

* * *

"Hi, Chase… want to hang out sometime?"

"Okay, stupid question, we always hang out."

"Um… I mean like… date."

"What? No, of course I don't want to date you, are you crazy?"

"Oh…"

"We're only friends and that's all we're ever-"

Alicia threw a pillow at the back of Zoey's head. "I'm trying to sleep! Stalk talking to yourself, you're disturbing everyone."

"Sorry."

* * *

"Logan, I'm going to help you quit smoking."

Logan glanced up from his breakfast tray to stare at Dana. "What?"

"I'm going to help you quit smoking."

"Why would you-"

"Because I am, okay?"

"Okay."

* * *

_Ring, ring, ring._

_Ring, ring, ring._

_Ring, ring-_

_Hi! This is Nicole and leave a message because then I can hear it later and then I can call you back! Isn't that cool? I think it's cool. You know what else is cool? The colour pink! It's totally- oh, right. Leave a message!_

_Beep._

_Hi, Nicole, it's mom. Phone me, please._

_Beep._

_Hi Nicole, it's mom again. Please, I want to see you. Can you meet me later?_

_Beep._

_Nicole, phone me back this instant or you're grounded!_

_Beep._

_I miss you._

Nicole took the battery out of her cell phone and shoved it under her bed.

**

* * *

Hey all! This was just a short chapter that I wrote in like ten minutes. I thought it was funny and got to the point and the conflicts of this story. So thank you to all who reviewed and please keep reading/reviewing:D**


	9. First Kiss

_Dear Journal,_

_I think Michael has been avoiding me. I haven't seen him all day! I bet he can read mines or he has some sort of machine that can tell what people are thinking and he KNOWS that I have a crush on him! How inconsiderate of him to just stay away from me like that. I mean, he should know that he's the first boy that I actually thought worthy of my company since Mark! Mark and Michael… the only two loves of my life so far. Is it just me, or do I happen to fall for guys whose names start with the letter M a lot?_

"Hey, Quinn, what's up?"

Quinn slammed her journal shut and stared at Michael who was smiling at her. She felt her face redden. She wanted desperately to run away. She grabbed her bag and hopped out of the chair she had been sitting on and ran out of the student lounge, accidentally tripping over a plant. Quickly picking herself up again, she bolted out of there as fast as she could, feeling embarrassed.

Michael's smile slipped off of his face. _Why did Quinn run out of here like that? Is she that embarrassed to me seen with me? Did I remember to use mouth wash this morning? Yes I think I did… oh no, what if my breath stinks? Maybe there's something on my face. Maybe I'm just too hideous to look at or… I don't know. _

Michael sighed and started to leave the lounge when something caught his eye. Quinn had left her journal sitting on the table. He stared at it, not able to take his eyes off the leather purple cover of the book that probably contained all her secrets. He shook his head, telling himself not to look at it, that it was private property!

"Well… I should return it to her anyways," Michael said to himself. HE hesitantly picked up the journal and shoved it into his backpack. He wouldn't read it. Of course he wouldn't. He would just innocently give it back to Quinn and then be on his merry way. Yeah. That's what he would do.

* * *

"I have to go to class."

"No you aren't."

"What? Yeah I am, I'll be late…"

"You're not going."

"Are you suggesting I skip?"

Dana sighed heavily and crossed her arms. "It's not _skipping_," she snapped. "I've got the teacher's permission. I'm going to help you get healthy again and you know, if you're not healthy, you can't possibly go to class. So come on."

"Where are we going?"

"Just come on."

Logan followed Dana out of the school and continued to follow her as she walked quickly down the street. They walked in silence for a few minutes. Finally they reached the Coconut Tree House. She let Logan climb up the ladder into the tree house first and then followed quickly afterward.

"Dana, what are we doing here?"

"I've got to cover for Zoey while she's at the basketball camp," Dana explained, pulling the Coconut Tree House handbook out of her bag. "I've got a shift today for a couple of hours. You're going to help me get the orders to the hungry customers." She handed Logan the hand book. "Read this over, okay?"

"Wait," Logan said, tucking the handbook under one arm. "How am I going to get healthier by taking food to people?"

Dana rolled her eyes. "Do I have to explain everything to you?" She sighed and started to head to the back room. Logan followed. "The Coconut Tree House is a no smoking zone. At first I thought I'd just let you sit here and wait until my shift is over, but I figured that if you were preoccupied you would be less likely to take out a cigarette."

Logan's face fell. "Wait, so I'm not allowed to smoke for a whole two hours?"

"Five hours," Dana corrected.

"That's not fair!" Logan yelled.

"Yeah well," Dana shrugged her shoulders. "Life's not always fair."

* * *

Zoey had received the pants that morning. When she opened the package she had immediately put them on and wore them for the whole day. She missed Nicole and everyone and wearing the pants felt as if they were there with her. She was wearing them at this very moment as she held the orange basketball in her hands. She had just finished dinner with all the other campers. Everyone else had gone to their cabins to read or write in their journals before going to sleep. Zoey hadn't felt like being confined in a cabin, so she had grabbed a basketball and come out on to the court for some extra practice. It had seemed like a good idea at the time, but now she was shivering and anxious to get into her bed.

_Well, I'm out here anyways, so I might as well make the best of it. _She started to dribble the ball and as she ran up and down the court, her heart started to beat faster and she wasn't so cold anymore. Her feet pounded against the ground and she had good control over the ball. It did as it was told and she was glad.

Just as she was about to shoot the ball into the net, a figure jumped out of the bushes, making her scream and skid to a stop. Chase laughed and ran over to Zoey, grinning from ear to ear. "Did I scare you?"

Zoey laughed and punched Chase in the arm. "Yeah you did! What are you dong out so late?" She dribbled the ball a little and then passed it to Chase. He caught it in and started to twirl it on one finger.

"Just thought I'd get some extra practice," he said. "What are_ you_ doing out so late?"

"Same as you," Zoey replied, smiling.

There was an awkward silence between the two of them. Chase cleared his throat. "So… you want to play some one on one?" He smiled and passed the ball to Zoey who caught it although she wasn't expecting it.

"Um… yeah sure… I'll try to go easy on you." She grinned.

They played for a long time. The clock ticked past their lights out time, but they continued playing. They didn't stop until late at night when the only source of light was the sparkling stars and the shining moon that hung in the sky. They both collapsed on the grass, laughing and fanning their faces with their hands.

"Good game," Chase said, out of breath.

Zoey nodded, laughing.

They both lay there, facing each other, under the stars. They were both thinking the same thing. _This would be the most perfect time to confess. _Chase cleared his throat just as Zoey started talking. Then when Chase started talking, Zoey cleared her throat.

"Oh… do you have something to say?" Chase said anxiously.

"Um… I don't know, do you?"

"Well… yeah.'

"Yeah, me too…"

"You go first."

"No, you can, I don't mind."

"No… well… okay… I…"

"I like you."

"What?"

Zoey's cheeks turned pink. "Nothing."

"No, really, what did you say?"

"I said… what were you going to say?"

"I was going to say I like you, but don't change the subject!"

"You- what?"

"I… I didn't just say that did I?"

"Um… I think you did."

"Oh… well… it's true."

"What I said was true too."

"What did you say?"

"I like you."

"So… I like you and you like me?"

"Yeah… I guess."

Chase laughed and so did Zoey. Then they kissed. Their first kiss was remarkable. They felt fireworks spark between them and the setting was just perfect. They both sat in the grass with their lips locked together, stars sprinkled in the sky… It was the moment they had been waiting for and they enjoyed every second of it.

* * *

Nicole walked down to the office, twiddling her thumbs. She had been called down to receive a phone call. She guessed it was her mother phoning the school to talk to her since she couldn't reach her through her cell phone. She took a deep breath. She knew she would have to answer this time. She couldn't keep running away.

She reached the office and pushed the door open. The secretary was typing something out on the computer. She merely gestured to the phone and Nicole walked over to it and picked up the receiver. In a shaky voice, she said, "Hello?"

"Hey, honey, it's me."

"Hi dad," Nicole said, sounding puzzled. "Um… why did you call?"

"I… understand that your mother came to visit you."

Nicole felt numb inside and out. "Yeah she did."

"She tried to call you many times, but she doesn't seem to be able to reach you on your cell phone. Is it broken? Would you like me to replace it?"

"No… it's just… I haven't been taking her calls on purpose."

"Oh… how come?"

"Because she's not telling me why she hates me!"

There was a pause. "She doesn't hate you, Nicole," Mr. Bristow finally said.

"Yes she does." Nicole felt her throat tighten.

"No… she loved you very much and-"

"Don't lie to me! I know she doesn't!"

"Nicole the reason she wasn't there to see you this summer was because she was in the hospital!"

"She- what?"

"She hadn't been feeling well for awhile so she went to go to the hospital because she wanted to be healthy when you came for your visit. The doctor told her she was diagnosed with cancer and she should stay in the hospital until things were better for her. She didn't want to tell you because she thought you might get worried and... Nicole?"

Nicole was stunned. No, she was more than that. She suddenly dropped the receiver and ran out of the office. She didn't know where she was going or what she was doing. She didn't know anything. She just ran. What else could she do?

She ran into the bathroom and locked herself in a stall. Then she collapsed on the ground and cried. She didn't try and stop her tears. She cried and cried and let the tears roll down her cheeks like a waterfall. Her face ached, her throat ached, but most of all, her heart ached. It was such a large ache that it was as if it would stay with her forever.


	10. Confession

**Thanks to all who reviewed. I really, really appreciate it- like, A LOT! You make me happy :) Also, another note from me, I'm sorry to anyone who doesn't approve of the use of the songs I may put in my story, but that's just the way it is and there really is no use trying to change the past. Comments/feedback wanted:)**

* * *

"So how was it?"

Logan groaned and grabbed a glass of water, chugging it down in a matter of seconds. He dropped the glass in the sink and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. "Tiring," he grumbled. "The worst experience of my life. Do poor people really do that for a living?" He shoved his hand in his pockets as he waited for Dana to finish cleaning up the kitchen.

"Oh, stop being a baby," Dana said, rolling her eyes as she wiped the counter clean. "There weren't even a lot of people here today." She paused to roll her sleeves up. "But I must say, you did a lot better than I thought you would. You only screamed in protest and begged for your cigarettes about… what was it...?"

"Only nineteen times," Logan mumbled. "That's not that bad."

"Sure it isn't," Dana said, smirking. She finished cleaning the kitchen and grabbed her bag. Saying good-bye to Tammy who was still working for another hour, Dana led Logan out of the tree house and the two of them headed back to PCA. It was nearly dark now and the sun was slowly disappearing. Noticing how much Dana was shivering, Logan took his jacket off and gave it to her.

Dana raised her eyebrows. "What's this? You want me to hold your jacket for you?"

"No, I want you to wear it," Logan said, giving her a sharp look.

"Why would you want me to wear your jacket?"

"You look cold and I… I'm hot, ok?" Logan threw the jacket over Dana's shoulders and started walking ahead of her. "Just do me a favour and take it off my hands for now." He turned around. "I just want you to know that I gave you that jacket because I'm hot, not because you're cold!" He started running.

Dana smiled. "Hey! Wait up! I have to stay with you and make sure you don't start smoking or something!" She hurried to catch up with the running Logan. The two of them ran and laughed together, something they had never done before. As they hurried to get to the warmth of the school, they both had the same thought in their head. _Am I still in love with this person?_

* * *

"I've lost my journal! Have you seen it?"

Quinn had been running all over the school between classes, searching for her lost journal. What could have happened to it? She didn't want it falling into wrong hands- or even worse. Michael's hands! She was desperately grabbing random peoples' shirt collars and asking them if they had seen her beloved journal. They had all either said no or threatened to call the police if she didn't unhand them.

Quinn entered the bathroom. She took her glasses off so she could wash her face at the sink. Her cheeks were burning as she thought about what would happen if Michael found her journal and discovered her true feelings for him. She took a deep breath. _Calm down, Quinn… maybe no one found it. Maybe it's just lying around somewhere… yeah. That must be it! _

She was just about to leave when she heard a muffled sound in one of the stalls. Frowning, she turned around to see where the sound was coming from. Only one of the stall doors was closed and it was the one furthest down. Quinn slowly walked along the row of sinks. The muffled sound became louder.

"Hello?" Quinn hesitantly reached out a hand and knocked on the stall door. It opened and Quinn gasped. "Oh my Lord… Nicole! What happened to you?"

Nicole stood there, her eyes red and wet with tears. Her entire face looked puffed out and her hair was matted down as if she had been lying on the floor. Her cheeks were tstreaked with tears and she was shaking uncontrollably as Quinn reached out to give her a hug.

"Q-Quinn…" She sobbed into her friend's shoulder, trying to stop the tears, but unable to. She attempted to take a deep breath, but found that she couldn't. Her throat was tight, closing over and making her sputter. "Q-Quinn…"

"Nicole, what's wrong?" Quinn asked, trying to make her voice sound gentle.

Nicole couldn't speak so she just shook her head and cried into Quinn's shoulder. She felt helpless and lost and she just didn't know what to do except cry. Quinn didn't ask anymore questions, but let her cry. They both knew the truth would come out later. For now, all Nicole could do was cry and Quinn was there for her.

* * *

Zoey awoke that morning and quickly changed into a green t-shirt and the Pants. Grabbing a jacket, she went out to get some fresh air before going to breakfast. The wind whipped at her face. She jumped up and down to keep warm. Memories from the previous night flooded back to her and she smiled.

She headed down the trail, bouncing as she did. She twirled as she walked and started humming a random song. She was just about to head to the main hall where they had breakfast, when someone tapped her on the shoulder from behind. She turned around and saw Thomas Robinson, Chase's cabin mate, grinning at her.

"Hi," he said, waving.

"Um, hey," Zoey replied, sounding confused. She had barely uttered a word to Thomas since they arrived at camp and they barely talked at school, but there he stood before her, saying hello. She glanced around. "Uh… if you're looking for Chase, I'm not sure where he is." She smiled. Saying his name made her stomach churn.

"I'm not looking for Chase, I was looking for you," Thomas admitted, blushing.

Zoey frowned. "Oh… well, you found me!" She laughed awkwardly. "So what's up?"

"I have a confession to make," Thomas said, looking at the ground. "I… well… I have a really huge crush on you and I just thought you should know that." He paused and then ran away. Zoey stood there, dumbfounded. Then she turned and walked to the main hall.

The words sunk all the way in once she was in line to get some pancakes. Thomas' confession lingered in her mind for the whole morning, then the entire afternoon, and then all evening.


	11. Quitting

_I'm sad  
__That's bad  
__It makes me mad_

_-A poem by Nicole Bristow_

* * *

Quinn lay in bed with her eyes closed. Her nose was red and her forehead hot. She groaned and rolled over on to her stomach. She hugged her pillow and then let out an enormous sneeze which made her sit up in bed in shock. It felt as if an earthquake had hit her room. She shook her head and slowly got out of bed, wobbling a bit as she stood. She felt sick. She grabbed a thermometer and stuck it in her mouth. Then she took it out and gasped. She _was _sick.

_I shouldn't have stayed up so late running around outside looking for my diary, _she thought as she picked her toothbrush up from her desk and headed out of her dorm room. _Now I'm sick. What am I going to do? I can't possibly find my diary in this state! _Just as she opened the door she let out another earthquake sneeze and sighed. _And what if I see Michael and I sneeze in his face? I'll pass him my disgusting, filthy germs and contaminate him! I'd better avoid him today._

After washing up in the bathroom, Quinn returned to her room and rummaged around in her desk drawers. She pulled out a tiny jar filled with pink pills. She opened the jar and let two pills drop into her palm. She popped them into her mouth and they immediately started to melt on her tongue. The pink pills were one of Quinn's inventions. They were supposed to cure common colds in the next 24 hours.

She started to sneeze, but quickly stopped herself. After polishing her glasses and changing, Quinn changed into a pair of pink jeans and a purple and orange sweater. She pulled on a pair of rainbow toe socks and grabbed her books. She looked at her watch which was shaped like Saturn and yelped.

"I'm going to be late!"

She opened the door and started to run out when she slammed into someone. She let out a strangled scream and threw her books into the air in shock. The book seemed to be falling in slow motion and then… THUMP. It hit Michael in the head and knocked him out. He collapsed to the ground. Quinn gasped and then sneezed.

* * *

"So Alicia… I've got a bit of a problem."

"What's up?"

Zoey sighed as she passed the basketball to Alicia who dribbled it up to the net and took a shot. It bounced off the rim and she grabbed it and, dribbling it through her legs, made her way towards the troubled Zoey.

"I've got two guys who like me and I only like one of them."

"Yeah…"

"How can I turn the other one down without hurting his feelings?"

Alicia laughed as she passed the basketball to Zoey. "Girl, you shouldn't be worrying about how to turn guys down when I'm worrying about how to get guys to stop turning me down!"

* * *

Logan took a deep breath. He held the packet of cigarettes above the open garbage can, his fingers shaking. He had spent the whole day, throwing his cigarette packets into the garbage can and then taking the full bags to the dumpster. He felt drained and out of energy. Now he was on the last packet.

"Here we go…"

Logan closed his eyes and was just about to drop the cigarettes in the garbage can when he suddenly felt an urge to pick up his lighter and… No! He quickly discarded the cigarettes and ran away.

_Good. If I want to please Dana and get healthier I have to stop smoking. _

He kept walking, but then suddenly he felt his feet stop and then turn around. He found himself walking back toward the garbage can, opening the lid, and pulling out the five packets of cigarettes he had thrown away. He found himself putting the cigarettes into his pocket and then running away once again.

* * *

"I think he's finally quit for good!"

"Really?"

Nicole hadn't told anyone about her mother yet. She couldn't. She didn't want anyone worrying about her or giving her depressing looks as soon as she entered the room. No, she didn't want that to happen. She lay on her bed, her face in a magazine, as she listened to Dana talk.

"Yes! I think he's really getting better."

Dana was sitting on the floor, spreading some black nail polish on to her nails. She blew on them to make them dry faster and grinned up at Nicole. "You know, Logan changed a lot since last year. He's matured a lot more and I think he's up to the challenge of quitting smoking."

Nicole suddenly sat up in her bed, the magazine falling to the floor. "Wait, you're not thinking about going out with him again, are you?" When Dana didn't answer she said, "Dana, no! He broke your heart so bad last time! You don't want to go through that again, do you?"

"Oh please, Nicole," Dana said, rolling her eyes. "People change."

Nicole lay back down and stared at the ceiling. Dana's cell phone rang and she carefully placed the bottle of nail polish on the floor and answered her phone. "Hello?" Pause. "Oh, hi mom. What? Yeah, I'm doing fine. Look, you don't have to check up on me all the time! Whatever, mom, I've got life under control. YES, I do. Okay? Yes, I do wash my hair… what? Yes, I have clean underwear. Mom, PLEASE!"

Nicole lay on her bed, listening to Dana's conversation. _Will I ever get to talk to my mom like that? So at ease and comfortable? _Silent tears ran down her face.


	12. Finding Out

_Dear Dana,_

_I am so stressed out! Two guys like me and I like only one, so how do I turn the other one down? I hope all is going well at PCA. Here are the Pants and I hope they bring you the best of luck. They brought me my first kiss and an unwanted confession. Hope they only bring good stuff for you._

_-Zoey_

* * *

Nicole sat on her bed in the dark, her phone clasped in her hands. She slowly dialed the number of her mother's phone, her fingers trembling as she did so. She took deep breaths as her cell phone made beeping noses when she made contact with the numbers. Finally, she had finished dialing. She raised the phone to her ear. The ringing made her want to throw the phone out the window.

"Hello?"

She had answered after three rings, just like she always had. Nicole felt tears in her eyes as imaged of her mother flashed through her head. She was just about to hang up when she found her voice. "Hi, mom, it's me."

"Nicole! I'm so glad you called."

"Yeah… um, I'm sorry I've been avoiding your calls."

"That's ok you had a valid reason…"

"And I'm sorry for all the other things I ever did wrong."

"What? Nicole, are you ok?"

"And I'm sorry I'm such a bad daughter!"

Nicole was sobbing uncontrollably now, just as she had the day before. She was shaking and crying into the phone. "I'm sorry… I'm sorry…" She wept and tears ran down her face like a never ending waterfall.

"Nicole, what's wrong?"

Her mother sounded so alarmed, so caring for her, that Nicole cried harder. "You… you… you have cancer!" she cried. "You're sick and I… I treated you like… like…" She took a deep breath and choked. There was silence on the other line.

"You know?"

Nicole nodded her head, but then realized her mother couldn't see her. "Yes."

"Oh, Nicole…"

The two of them, mother and daughter, both cried on the phone that night for who knows how long. They both sobbed into the telephone, letting the other hear their sorrow and feel their tears of sadness.

* * *

He wasn't going to do it. Really, he wasn't. But he couldn't help it. He had read Quinn's diary.

Michael sat in the student lounge, the diary in his hands. He felt light headed just thinking about what he had read. _Quinn likes me? How can that be possible? _He shook his head and frowned, feeling… well, stunned. How would he be able to turn Quinn down without hurting her?

Just then, who but Quinn herself, came running into the room, frantically searching for her diary. Michael took a deep breath and stood up, preparing to go tell her the truth. He marched right up to her when she let out an enormous sneeze. He yelped and took a step backwards, tripping over the couch. Quinn gasped and, pulling a tissue out of her pocket, ran to help him.

"Are you ok? I'm sorry… I… I'm so stupid…"

"That's ok," Michael said, getting up to his feet. Quinn's eyes suddenly popped out of her head when she saw what Michael was holding.

"What's that?" she asked, her voice quivering.

Michael stood up, holding the diary out as if it were a bomb. "Uh…" He took a deep breath. "This is… a book. YES, it's a book." Telling the truth was a lot harder than he had anticipated. "I… um…"

"You didn't read the book, right?"

Michael bowed his head in shame and suddenly Quinn felt her entire face turn red. She snatched the diary out of his hands and ran. Her heart was thumping loudly in her ears and s he felt tears start to run down her face. By the time she was her dorm room she was crying. Then she sneezed.

* * *

Dana was walking down towards Logan's dorm room to give him a surprise. She had just received her first paycheck and thought it was only fit to share it with Logan since he did help one day. She wondered what his reaction would be and excitedly hurried to see him.

Once reaching his door, she knocked three times and then decided just to open it. She pushed the door open and then gasped. The room was freezing. The window was open and Logan stood by it with his back to the door. When Dana came in, he turned around and his eyes turned huge. A cigarette was hanging out of his mouth.

"What…"

"Dana, I can explain."

Realizing what was going on, Dana screamed and walked right out of the room, slamming the door behind her. She walked fast down the hallway when she heard Logan's footsteps after her. She started running, feeling betrayed and shocked. She thought he had quit. She thought… Well, she had thought a lot of things, but now she guessed it was all lies.

"Dana, wait!"

Dana turned around and started to yell. "No- you know what? Why SHOULD I wait? You won't be able to give me a good explanation so just forget it."

"I… it's hard to quit, you know?"

"I know," Dana said quietly. "But it's harder to quit when you don't try."


	13. Everything Happens

Dana opened the package she had received that morning. A folded piece of paper and the Pants fell out on to her lap. She grinned as she lifted the Pants and pressed her face against it. She inhaled the scent of grass and imagined Zoey wearing them as she dribbled a basketball across a court. Unfolding the piece of paper, Dana read Zoey's later, her smile slipping off her face as she did so. It sounded like things weren't going too well for her either. Dana's eyes nearly fell out of her head when she read the first kiss part. She would have to interrogate her when she got back from camp.

After changing into the Pants, Dana headed out of her dorm room to get to class. She swung her backpack over her shoulders and was walking down the hallway when someone called her name from behind. She stopped and then slowly turned around to see Logan rushing toward her. She felt her heart pound hard. _Turn around and keep walking, _she said to herself, but her feet wouldn't listen. She stayed rooted to the spot, waiting for him. He looked awfully good today…

"Dana!" Logan looked relieved that he had stopped to wait for her. "I'm glad I found you." He gave her one of his thousand dollar smiles and she could feel herself melt inside. "Can we talk? I have to… uh…" He cleared his throat. "Apologize and also tell you a few other things."

Dana couldn't find her voice for a few minutes. Then she remembered what he had done and who she was dealing with. She changed her facial expression to one of hard stone and said, "Not now, Logan, I have to go to class." She turned around and started walking. Logan followed.

"Dana, it'll only be a second…"

"I don't want to waste a single second of my life on you."

Logan stopped in his tracks when he heard his words. Dana's cheeks turned pink, but she kept walking. She scolded herself inside for being so harsh to him, but she couldn't let him see that she had a soft side. She heard him take a deep breath and then continue to follow her. They walked this way for awhile, Dana in front and Logan behind. Finally, when she couldn't take it anymore, Dana turned around and said, "Fine. Two minutes of my time and that's all."

She crossed her arms over her chest as he started to speak.

"Well, first off, I wanted to say that I'm really sorry for smoking even when I was trying to quit. But you know it's really hard to give something up when you're so addicted! I hope you can understand and that you'll give me a second chance and…" He paused. "I'm just sorry for being such a jerk. You know, for starting to smoke in the first place and…" He took a deep breath. "I really like you, Dana. I just want to make you happy, but all I'm doing is stressing you out. Maybe I should just leave you alone from now on and… how much time do I have left?"

Dana stood, stunned. Then she said, "All the time in the world." She leaned forward and kissed him on the lips and he, too shocked to even think, immediately kissed her back. The two of them stood that way for awhile. Logan closed his eyes and felt his whole body melt. She had forgiven him and that was all that mattered. As Dana kissed him, she was glad to say that she didn't taste the scent of cigarettes on his lips.

* * *

Quinn sat on the floor in a bathroom stall, crying her eyes out. Why did he have to find out like that? Why? WHY? Quinn took her glasses off and rubbed her eyes, trying to make her tears stop, but they wouldn't. How could she ever show her face to Michael again? He would think she was a freak, a laughing stock. She hiccupped and then sneezed, feeling even more miserable. 

She sat there for a long time, feeling very lonely, when she heard the sound of a swinging door as someone entered the bathroom. Then footsteps and then… knock, knock. Someone was knocking on her stall door. She didn't know what to do so she figured she should open it and see who it was and what they wanted. She stood up and unlocked it, swinging the door open. She gasped.

"Michael, you aren't allowed in the girls' room!"

She immediately slammed the stall door in his face and leaned against it, feeling her heart pounding. Not only was he in a place where he didn't belong, but he had seen her at her ugliest time! She reached into her pocket and pulled out a small hand held mirror which she used sometimes for her experiments and looked at her reflections. Her eyes were puffy and red and her cheeks were streaked with tears. _I look hideous!_

"Quinn?" Michael knocked on the stall door again. "I went into all the girls' bathrooms in the entire school looking for you. Trust me, it was hard. I got hit in the head with fifty different purses with hard buckles. Please, I just want to talk to you." He paused and waited for her to answer. When she didn't he knocked again.

"Leave me alone!" Quinn yelled, wiping her tears away.

"Quinn, I'm sorry I read your diary, but… well now I know what they mean when they said curiosity killed the cat." He laughed, hoping she might see the funny side in the situation. "But… Quinn… I…" He took a deep breath. "Well, since I read your secret, I'll tell you one of my secrets."

Quinn stood in silence for a minute. "Fine, but it better be good."

Michael took a deep breath. The two of them, on either side of the stall door, both felt their hearts pound. Michael's heart was pounding because he was nervous about what he was about to say and Quinn's heart was pounding because she was nervous about what he was about to say.

"I like you, Quinn. You know, in _that _way."

They were both silent for a minute. Then Quinn slowly unlocked the stall door and the two of them faced each other. There was a sincere look in Michael's eyes and Quinn could see it clearly. He was leaning forward and… Quinn started to panic. She immediately turned away from him so he ended up kissing her ear.

"I'm sorry," Quinn wailed. "But I look so terrible that…well… I don't want you to see me like this!" She covered her face with her hands to make sure that he couldn't see her. He put his hands on her shoulders and turned her so she faced him. She peeked at him through her fingers.

"You'll never look ugly to me," he said.

She uncovered her face. He leaned in again and this time she didn't turn. She closed her eyes and so did he. They each experienced their first kiss and it was a great one. It was something they would remember for the rest of their lives. The feeling that went through their bodies when their lips met… their strong feelings for each other that now were unleashed… the screaming of the girl who walked into the bathroom to find a boy there. It was all beautiful.

* * *

Zoey was breathing hard by the time she had finished her ten laps around the field. Every morning they started their exercise with the ten laps and every morning Zoey was so wiped out that she barely had energy to stand afterwards. She collapsed on the grass and took a long drink from her water bottle. She sighed with satisfaction and put the bottle down and stretched her legs. Chase came jogging over to her. Grinning, he sat down beside her and said, "What's up?" 

"Not a lot," Zoey said, smiling at Chase. They looked at each other with adoration for a moment and then came the tornado. Thomas came running up to them and sat down right in between the two, squeezing himself in. Zoey's cheeks turned pink and she quickly looked away and Chase frowned slightly.

"Uh, hi Thomas," he said, puzzled. "What's up?"

"Not much, Chase," Thomas said, smiling, showing his crooked teeth. "I just thought I'd swing by and join you two. What's going on?" He put his arm around Zoey who quickly shrugged it off. Chase raised his eyebrows slightly and crossed him arms across his chest.

"Nothing," he said. "But I can't say the same about you."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Thomas said innocently.

Chase stared at him and then shook his head. "Never mind…"

He stood up and started to leave. Thomas rose to his feet as well and said, "What is it Chase? Is it because I like your so called girlfriend and you're too chicken to stand up to me?" As soon as those words left his mouth, Chase had turned around and punched him in the jaw. Thomas stumbled backwards and Zoey let out a little scream. People started turning their heads to see what the matter was.

"I knew you liked her," Chase said, panting hard and looking furious. "I had my suspicions, but I thought that it couldn't be true because you were my friend and you wouldn't do anything to backstab me." He lifted Thomas off the ground by grabbing his collar. "But now I know that you…"

Thomas took this opportunity to strike Chase across the face. People gasped as both boys stumbled backwards and stood across from each other, each breathing heavily and both with their fists out. Zoey stood in front of the crowd of watching people, the expression on her face a horrified one.

The two boys stood for a second and then both bolted at each other. Thomas went for the face and Chase aimed for the stomach. Both punched and kicked and swore loudly at each other. People from the crowd were too stunned to pull them apart and the supervisors were somewhere else at the moment. Chase let out a strangled yell and punched Thomas in the nose. Blood spurted out and the crowd gasped loudly.

"STOP!"

Zoey ran forward and stood between the boys, her entire body shaking. She knew she had to put a stop to this before someone got seriously hurt. Breathing hard, tears in her eyes, Zoey whispered, "Stop." Then she fell to the ground and cried. Tears of all the stress she had felt over the days came out and her shoulders shook as she sobbed.

Alicia came out of the crowd of people and helped Zoey up. Giving Thomas and Chase a dirty look, she helped Zoey walk back to their cabin. People watched the two girls depart and then their eyes turned to the two boys. They both stood in silence for a moment and then they turned and walked away in opposite directions.

* * *

Nicole had made up her mind. She had talked it over with her parents and they had both agreed extremely hesitantly after much arguing. She stood in front of the office, her face white. She was trembling all over as she knocked three times on the wooden door. The secretary's scratchy voice called out. "Come in." 

Nicole opened the door and walked in. She walked right up to the secretary and said, "I'd like to speak to the dean please." The secretary raised her eyebrows and nodded, gesturing to another wooden door that led to the dean's private room. Nicole walked up to that door and was about to knock, but then decided to just go in. She opened the door. The dean was sitting at his desk, reading some papers. He looked at Nicole when she walked in.

"Oh, hi Nicole… how may I help you?"

Nicole sat down in a chair across from the dean's desk and took a deep breath. She decided to get right to the point. "Dean Rivers, I won't be returning to PCA next semester." Her voice didn't shake when she spoke, but stayed strong. She took a deep breath to steady herself.

Dean Rivers looked at Nicole with a blank expression on his face. "Why?"

Nicole put an envelope on Dean Rivers' desk. "Please read this," she said. "It includes a full explanation. My parents do know about this and…" She took another deep breath. "I can't explain it right now, but I just want you to know that I had a great time at PCA and this is the best school ever." She rose and left the room.

Dean Rivers picked up the envelope and opened it. He unfolded the letter inside and started to read.

_Dear Dean Rivers,_

_Hi. I'm Nicole Bristow and I recently found out that my mom has cancer. I will not be returning to school next semester because I am going to go work and raise money so she can get the proper surgery. I know this may sound stupid at the moment, but I really… I just know this is what I have to do. Thanks for everything._

_Nicole_

_PS: __Roses are red  
__Violets are blue  
__My love for this school  
__Will always be true_


	14. The End

Quinn awoke that morning to find the Pants neatly folded and sitting on top of her desk. She scooped them up and held them in her arms for awhile, embracing their magic before putting them on. Then she went to room 101 to see Dana and Nicole. Zoey would be arriving back from basketball camp that day and they were going to greet her by the door when she came.

Quinn walked down the hallway and then knocked on the room 101 door. After a few minutes, the door opened. Nicole stood there, looking sad. She held a sweater in one hand and a pair of socks in the other. Once she saw Quinn she quickly threw the socks down and said, "Hey, Quinn… come in."

Quinn walked into the room. It was a mess in there. Nicole's suitcase was out on her bed and clothes were thrown around everywhere. Dana sat on her bed, curled up in a ball, her eyes wide and shiny as if she was about to burst into tears at any moment. Quinn frowned. The atmosphere in the room wasn't a nice one.

"What's going on?" she asked timidly.

"Nothing," Nicole said, picking a t-shirt up from the ground and carefully folding it and shoving it into her suitcase. Dana watched her as she moved around the room, collecting and packing up her things. Quinn sat down on the floor and cautiously glanced back and forth between Dana and Nicole. There was a long silence before someone spoke again.

"Tell her, Nicole," Dana snapped. "Tell her you're leaving."

"What?" Quinn exclaimed. "You're leaving?"

Nicole sighed heavily as she zipped up the front pocket of her suitcase. "Well…yes, I am. I won't be coming back next semester." She choked on her words and told herself not to burst into tears. That wouldn't do anyone any good at all. She didn't want to let her friends see her cry.

"Why?" Quinn said, her voice quivering.

"I've got some things to do at home, that's all," Nicole murmured.

There was another long silence. Then Dana, who had been holding in all her anger, burst out furiously. "I can't believe you're doing this! What's so important that you have to drop out of school? I mean, seriously, do your parents know about this? What would your mom say if she-"

Nicole slammed her suitcase shut, making a loud banging sound. There was a frightened silence that hung in the air. Then Nicole, wiping her eyes quickly, glanced at her watch and said, "Come on, it's time to go meet Zoey." She quickly rushed out of the room. After awhile, Dana and Quinn followed.

* * *

Zoey pressed her head against the window. The bus shook as it made its way back to PCA. Zoey's basketball skills had grown plenty, but she herself felt as if she had shrunk. She had no more energy to do anything. Alicia kept trying to get her to do eat or talk, but Zoey had shaken her head in response. Chase and Thomas had also apologized several times, but she wasn't sure what would happen after she forgave them. She was too confused to think.

"We've arrived!" the bus driver called. People cheered and hurriedly stood up to get off the bus and meet up with their friends. Zoey glanced out the window and far away she saw the shadows of Nicole, Dana, and Quinn making their way out to meet her. She quickly ran out of the bus, grabbing her things. She pushed her way past other people and was running toward her friends.

"Nicole!" she yelled. "Dana! Quinn!"

The three girls were waving at her. She got closer and closer and then the next thing she knew, the four of them were embraced in a tight group hug. Then Nicole started to cry. Silent tears ran down her face, but they weren't silent for long. Hearing her cry, Zoey started to wail which set Dana and Quinn off. The four of them stood there, hugging and crying for a very long time.

* * *

Late at night, past their curfew, the Sisterhood sat around a candle in the student lounge. They sat in a circle with their hands clasped together as they had the day the Pants had come to them. This time they had tears in their eyes as they spoke of their time in the Pants. They each shared their stories. When it was Nicole's turn she was going to lie and say that nothing had happened to her, but she ended up sobbing and telling them the entire truth.

"Why didn't you tell us?" Dana said, whispering.

"I didn't want to worry you or…"

"That's why you were crying in the bathroom," Quinn said, tears shining in her eyes.

Zoey looked alarmed. "Nicole! Why didn't you write to me?"

Nicole hung her head in shame. "I don't know…"

Each girl sat still. Then Zoey said something that all of them were thinking. "We'll miss you, Nicole. PCA won't be the same without you, you know?"

Silent tears ran down each of the girls' faces. They all nodded. Then Quinn said, in a hopefully cheery voice, "Well, that's ok! We can still keep in touch. And Nicole will be back one of these days." She choked on her words.

"We'll send you the pants when it's your turn, Nicole," Dana said quietly. "We'll still be the Sisterhood of the Nail Polish Stained Pants. You just won't be here at school, that's all. Nothing will have changed."

They both sat in silence. Then Nicole laughed. "Yeah, nothing will change."

They exchanged stories and jokes for the rest of the time. Then the candle burnt out so they all went upstairs. They all had a new burning hope in their hearts. They would always be the Sisterhood no matter where they were and they would always share the Pants. Next semester would be a whole new story for them.

* * *

**So that's the end! Yep, I hope you guys all liked it :) I'm thinking of making a sequel. You know, like the real Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants has three books out? Should I do that? Leave a review and tell me your thoughts! THANKS FOR READNG!**


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